1. BC Draft Assessment Plan Academic Senate Assessment Committee

2. Why Learning Outcomes Assessment? • Become the Best Learning Institution Possible • Focus on student success and improved learning • Describe and validate what we do • Provide data to make evidence-based decisions • Comply with WASC Accreditation Standards • Comply with the new Master Plan • Improve accountability to the public

3. What is Learning Outcomes Assessment? • ACCJC accreditation standards define assessment as: • any method an institution uses to gather evidence for evaluating quality • any data that is direct (from the students on learning) and indirect (about the students assuming learning) • including quantitative and qualitative data

4. Direct Measures actual student learning Essays Exams Recitals Performance Product Speech Portfolio Project Indirect Measures an assumed indicator of learning Retention Success Transfer Graduation rates Alumni & community surveys Employer surveys Student Satisfaction surveys Direct and Indirect Assessment

5. Draft Assessment Plan Team ∞ BC Senate Assessment Committee * Attendees at AAHE Conference

6. Draft BC Assessment Plan Institutional Assessment Institutional Effectiveness Student Services & Learning Support Services Assessment Program AssessmentProgram Review Class and Course AssessmentSenate Assessment Committee & Curriculum Committee

7. Course Level Outcomes Each Faculty Member: • Selects at least one class • Assesses at least 1 or 2 class SLOs per year • Implements and documents changes made to improve the class • Coordinates with program assessment plans Goal to assess all SLOs within a course over a 4-6 year cycle

8. Class and Course Outcomes

9. Grading Individual instructor’s definition Purpose to rank students Less systematic Includes data other than student learning (e.g. effort or participation) No external accountability Assessment Produced through dialogue Purpose to improve learning Systematic with criteria e.g. rubrics Focuses on specific outcomes and competencies Based upon criteria communicated to the public for accountability How do Assessment and Grading Differ?

10. Program Level Outcomes • Define Program: pathways, departments, service areas, or other • Course and Program SLO Alignment matrix • Assess at least 1 or 2 program SLOs per year • Implement and document changes made to improve program outcomes Goal: to assess, as part of program review, all program SLOs within a program review cycle

11. Course and Program SLO Alignment Matrix • Measure program SLOs are learning outcomes for a program that will be measured to assess the effectiveness of that course of study • Analyze effectiveness both formatively (F) and summatively (S)

12. Program Level Outcomes • Define Program: pathways, departments, service areas, or other • Course and Program SLO Alignment matrix • Assess at least 1 or 2 program SLOs per year • Implement and document changes made to improve program outcomes Goal: to assess, as part of program review, all program SLOs within a program review cycle

13. Program Assessment & Program Review

14. Institutional Level Outcomes Institutional SLO’s based upon the 4 BC strategic initiatives • Improve student access, retention, and success • Provide effective learning and earning pathways for students • Support student learning through appropriate technology • Support student learning through streamlined systems and processes

15. Pathway for Institutional Assessment • Develop Institutional SLO’s, Effectiveness Indicators (EI’s) and assessment methods • Assess at least 1 or 2 Institutional SLO’s/EI’s each year and communicate results • Implement and document changes made to improve institutional outcomes • Goal to assess institutional SLO’s/EI’s within an accreditation cycle Words of Wisdom: Don’t measure with a micrometer, and don’t measure everything! Use valuable but low-effort assessment methods.

16. Institutional Level Outcomes: Progress

17. Draft BC Assessment Plan Institutional Assessment Institutional Effectiveness Student Services & Learning Support Services Assessment Program AssessmentProgram Review Class and Course AssessmentSenate Assessment Committee & Curriculum Committee

18. Overall Time Line Course Assessment Fall 03 - SLO workshops- SLOs for one class Fall 04 - Spring 05 - Assessment workshops- Class assessment plans- Assess 1 or 2 class SLOs- New curriculum format Fall 05- Spring 06 - Course Assessment- Course assessment plans- Assess 1 or 2 Course SLOs- Close the loop – modify and improve • Program Assessment • Spring 04 • Define program- New program review & assessment format • Fall 04 • Program matrices- Pilot new format • Spring 05- Present pilot • Fall 05- New program review & assessment • Institutional AssessmentSpring 04 • -Institutional Committee- Define effectiveness indicators • Fall 05 • Develop pilot & assessment tools-Present pilot data • Spring 06 • - Use assessment for budgeting and planning ACCREDITATION

19. How Does Assessment Improve Learning? • Helps align programs of study – pre-requisites have SLOs that directly connect to sequential classes • Provides accountability to students, public and other instructors • Should link to budgeting and planning • Should improve instruction • Should improve institutional effectiveness • Should help communicate clear expectations for students, faculty and staff

20. Why Assessment? It’s all about improved studentlearning